Butt Augmentation On The Rise

When a woman asks, “Does my bum look big in this?” what should you reply? Judging by new statistics the answer an increasing amount of women want to hear is not, “No, not at all,” but, “Oh yes! Beautiful and curvaceous.”

According to latest study by American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery (ASAPS), 2008-2009 saw an overall decline in cosmetic surgeries, however during that time butt augmentations rose by 37.3% and butt lifts increase by 24.6%.

Experts speaking at the annual ASAPS meeting said that part of the reason these procedures have become more popular can been attributed to curvaceous role models such as J.Lo, Beyonce, Rihanna and Kim Kardashian. Felmont F. Eaves III, MD, ASAPS president and a plastic surgeon in Charlotte, N.C., said:

“[Another] part of the reason is that we are starting to get better at them. We now have several ways that we can enhance buttock shape and more tools to customize the procedure and get a good result.”

J.Los Big Booty

New techniques include fat grafting – a procedure that involves taking fat from areas with excess pounds and injecting it into areas lacking build and shape.

Other methods of include solid silicone implants, a conventional lift, or a combination thereof. Another option involves creating a tissue flap from the buttocks and moving it to enhance the shape.

“This field is advancing very rapidly and we are making a lot of progress figuring out which patients do best with what procedures,” Eaves told reporters.

“Buttock enhancement may be an ethnically desired trait,” Eaves explains, it is also popular among women of South or Central American descent and women who have lost massive amounts of weight, such as after bariatric surgery:

“Some people can lose weight and end up with zero bottom, so adding volume back is helpful and can make them feel more normal and comfortable when sitting down,”

Wendy Lewis, a New York City-based plastic surgery consultant and author of several books, including Plastic Makes Perfect, agreed that today’s role models play a large part in how women think they should look:

“We can credit J-Lo as having influenced this category. There is a new focus on body-shaping procedures among consumers, and buttock augmentation is definitely on the rise with the advent of better methods for fat grafting…

“Most consumers prefer the idea of using their own fat to create a soft and natural shape and contour to the buttock region. Many people want some of the fat removed from their thighs or tummies during liposuction, transferred to where they need volume — such as the buttocks, breast, and face.”

Justin Yovino, MD, a plastic surgeon in private practice in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., says that many people have been calling his office inquiring about buttock enhancements:

“South Florida has a heavy Latin flavor and is really a gateway to South America, where the culture is to have a little more junk in the trunk…

“Curvy and shapely bodies are more in than the rail thin, straight-line look,”

Yovino plans to begin offering fat injections to the butt. “I think it’s safe and allows us to mold better than we could using a single implant,” he said.

However, he did warn about the impending danger of surgeons trying to cut corners in order to cash in on the rise of buttock enhancements. He motioned that safety should always come first and explained that some surgeons are willing to inject almost anything into patients, including the industrial silicone used to seal bathtubs:

“It costs $3 a tube, and it’s just tragedy because these things are not tissue compatible,” Eaves added.

In general, off-the-shelf fillers such as collagen and hyaluronic acid do not have a place in butt augmentation, Eaves explained. These fillers could be used off-label for butt augmentation, but it would be so expensive for the volume needed to augment the butt:

“These are surgical procedures and there is no evidence that non-invasive technology has a place in butt augmentation,”

Protect yourself by choosing a board-certified plastic surgeon and asking to see and read the package of the product the surgeon is recommending, he says.

Renato Saltz, MD, immediate past president of the ASAPS and a plastic surgeon in Salt Lake City agreed:

“We are seeing disasters. You need to identify somebody with experience, as this is a very specialized procedure. Look for a surgeon who does a lot of body contouring.”